A Fateful Encounter
by lycanfemmefatal
Summary: Fate can be tricky and after a long and arduous journey one might find that the journey had just begun. Rating may change as the story goes along; updated weekly, if I can.
1. A Long Day

Chapter 1

A Tired Samurai

It had been a long and tiring day for Jack; first he had to save a group of children from a new brainwashing station made by Aku, while there he had a run-in with the Scotsman. Apparently his brother had said something to offend his wife, which caused a rampage. Reluctantly, Jack had stepped in to mediate the situation. Since the Scotsman's bonny wife hates Jack, their plan only half-worked.

The second she spied Jack, her rampage turned to him, drawing her ferocity from the Scotsman's brother. Jack caught a faint "Thank you!" from the Scotsman as he escaped the wrath of a woman who clearly held a grudge. Once he was safely away from the psychotic woman, he managed to stumble upon a small village under siege by Beetle Bots.

Annoyed, he laid waste to the horde and slipped away from the elated villagers before they could cause too much of a ruckus in his favor. With head aching and body covered in cuts and oil, a thoroughly disgusted samurai traverses through the dense forest that covers the area before coming to a serene waterfall.

Humming happily, Jack undressed and dove into the cold water. Once the last of the oil had been scrubbed off, he decided to meditate, taking up a sitting position on a rock beneath the waterfall, letting the cascade ease his troubled mind and soothe his pained body.

He had no idea she was there. The stress of the day's events had taken their toll, clouding his judgment. She felt herself blush when he disrobed, looking away as he got into the water…_ her_ water. She looked down at a small rope necklace adorned with a blue shell-shaped pendant clutched in her _delicate_ hands. The word was bitter on her lips as she repeated it over and over, remembering back to the days before Aku, and back to the day she had been sealed away to wait for the one destined to rid the world of the evil that was Aku.

She looked back at her hero, so close yet so far away. 'I need him to find me.' She thought, pressing all her hopes into the small amulet before hurling over the waterfall. Now all she had to do was pray he found it before Aku did, and hope he reached her soon, she was so tired of being cooped up in her small prison.


	2. Wild Rapids

The sound of the water had calmed his mind as the cold eased the aches his body suffered. He had almost forgotten his weariness when something hit him in the head. Rubbing the lump forming from the impact, he caught a faint cry for help coming from the offending object as it was carried away by the current. Unsure of what creature it could be, Jack knew one thing for sure; he was needed again.

Diving into the water, he chased the small object through rapids down the once peaceful river. He was confused about the sudden speed of the river that was carrying him farther away from his sword, but he focused on the small cries for help being carried away faster than he could swim. Pushing all other thoughts aside, he forced his body to swim faster.

His strength was failing him and it was difficult to swim in such wild water. It was only by some strange miracle he still kept his head above the water as he was swept downstream.

* * *

_She focused all of her magic on him, keeping him from drowning as he chased her amulet down the river. She knew how wild the river would get once the amulet's unbound magic hit the water's surface, but she knew that if he managed to fight the current, it would make him strong enough to find her._

_Watching him struggle ate at her heart, his body working beyond its ability. 'Oh why did I have to send the amulet to him so soon?' She thought, knowing that if she had waited, the world would have been doomed._

* * *

Jack was struggling with keeping up with the tiny apparition. "I have faith in you!" It called as it smacked into a fallen tree, hooking onto a decrepit branch in the process of breaking away. Gaining strength from those words Jack surged forward, closing in on his prize, he stretched his arm out wrapping his numb fingers around it as it was sucked under by the branch being swept away. Clasping the object protectively against his chest, Jack used his free hand to grab the tree and hoist himself out of the freezing water.

Coughing and gasping for breath, jack looked out at the now calm river in utter confusion. The water was still enough it showed no ripples now. Deciding it was best to walk rather than swim; Jack crossed the unsteady tree to land back on dry earth.

Once back at his small camp and reunited with his sword, jack examined the small object that had grown warm against his skin. A small snail shell glowing blue with green and pink stripes rested in his palm attached to a simple black string. Unsure if the inhabitant of the small shell was still alive Jack tilted the shell and emptied the water inside. After a few drops splashed onto the ground at his feet the shells' glow grew brighter. "Thank you for proving that you are the hero destined to set me free." The little voice spoke inside the shell in a singsong voice that caused goose bumps to roll down his spine.

"What manner of sorcery is this?" Jack questioned, peering into the shells opening to see who spoke to him in such a beautiful voice. "I am not inside the shell; I am just using it to speak to you. I am locked up far away from you. Please come find me." She pleaded, causing his heart to hammer in his chest. "How tiny spirit?" He called into the shell as though he was calling to someone across a field.

* * *

_She chuckled as she watched him, "I can hear you just fine if you speak normally Samurai. Follow the water to the place where it begins. Your journey to find me will start there."_


	3. Story Time

As darkness shroud the land in a desolate grey Jack trudged along the river bend with eyes that refused to stay open. It had been three days since he had slept. His shell had kept him awake, warning him of storms and the occasional flood. His feet sank into the porous mud, his body cold from the rains. He tripped on a stump hidden in the mud and lost a shoe in the river. Disheartened and weary, he sat on the offending stump and rubbed his aching feet. "What are we to do now?" He asked quietly. "Make camp?" She suggested.

"What do I call you?" he asked as he gathered branches from the surrounding trees. "I used to have a name…" She remained silent for a while as he set the fire. "What happened?" He asked finally breaking the silence. "I lost my name and my honor long ago. It was so long that I have no idea what my name ever was." Jack allowed her her silence as he worked on lighting the fire.

Once the roaring flames cast a warm glow on their surroundings he decided he would talk about something else. "Do you know of my past?" "Some." She replied mysteriously. "I can see things that no other being can, but my sights have blurred with time. Would you tell me of it?"

Jack nodded, "When I was young I ran away from the castle. My teachers had been strict in their ways and I was bored of studying. I wanted to play as all children do, so I headed for the ocean. My mother had read a story about a Ningyo who spoke to children through shells that lined the beach, so I was excited to find a shell. I never made it to the beach that day; instead I fell asleep by a river."

* * *

_She remained silent, even though she remembered the scene well…_

* * *

"A little western girl in a kimono with bright red hair threw water on me to wake me before the river rose to take me away. The water was already at my waist when she pulled me from the water. I suppose I had been too tired to notice the water. When I was awake she yelled at me for sleeping so close to the water."

He chuckled as he threw kindling into the fire, "She did not care that I was royalty, she gave me a beating that I will never forget before dragging me home to my worried mother. We became close friends and frequented the beach. That is where we found a blind fish washed up on shore. She decided we would nurse the fish back to health as though we were raising a child. She said she would pretend to be the mermaid, and I would be her husband."

Jack smiled warmly at the memory, "She was a beautiful girl, one that had no equal in my youth. She named the fish Cordelia; she said we could call it Lia or Cora." "What does the name mean?" The shell questioned curiously. "She told me it meant 'of the sea,' though I have no idea in what language." "Celtic. The girl must have been from the emerald isles."

Jack paused in his prodding of the dying flames, "I had no idea there was such a place. Is it covered in emerald caverns?" "No, just beautiful emerald covered grass. What was the girl's name?" Jack fingered the shell, running the tips of his calloused fingers across its furrowed surface, "She never told me, and I never spoke my own. We both believe that names hold power, enough power that someone can control you with just the utterance of your name."

* * *

"_Jack?" Her voice was uneven as she bit back the truth she wanted to share. It wasn't time; not yet. Just the thought of his trials to come was enough to cause her chest to tighten. "Hmmm?" He replied, taking up poking at the fire again. "Will you give me a name?" He was silent as she watched him, his mind working to find a proper name for his new friend, "I do not know where you are from. I do not know what you even look like. All I know about you is your voice and your shell… I do not even know if I can trust you."_

_She clenched a scaly hand over her chest as though to remove a sharpened arrow from her heart, "I could tell you of myself if that would help." Jack nodded and leaned back against a tree, "That would be nice."_

* * *

He loved the sound of her sweet sing-song voice, so a story would be welcome to him. "I was born far away from this place," she began as he took up a whetting stone to sharpen his sword, "the soil was fertile and the animals were plentiful. We had food and housing, and we were a peaceful people with a gift that man had only whispered of in stories. I was born far more powerful than my people. I had sight that was stronger and will that succeeded any other. The power came with a cost that humans would find amusing."

Jack raised an eyebrow, "What?" "I can never lie. When I try it causes me great pain that pushes me near to death. I have wondered if I were to give a strong enough lie if it would actually kill me. But I digress; I will be blunt because I see you are about to nod off…" Jack blushed as he righted himself, unsure of when he had slumped over against the tree, "I am an oracle. I am not human, as many inhabitants of this world, yet I was born here on earth. That is all I can tell you for now my sweet samurai. Rest tonight and we will speak more on the subject another time."

Jack nodded lightly, unsure of what she had said. He was tired, and sore from his journey. Sleep would come easily tonight as long as he had the shell tiead around his neck to keep him company.


	4. Cavern Chaos

Jack dodged mechanical debris as the cavern around him collapsed. Robotic mole people raced toward him baring steel fangs, their arms transforming into drills. Jack blocked their attacks with his sheath, jabbing his blade into their abdomen before slicing them in half.

The fallen Mechamoles exploded creating a domino effect and dropping the floor from beneath Jack. Jumping from boulder to boulder as they fell, Jack managed to catch hold of a small cliff. Pulling himself up, Jack turned to see the floor give way to lava. The Mechamoles squealed in grinding gears and sputtering brakes as the lava rushed over them, melting them to the core and turning the lava silvery.

Below him a single Mechamole sneered up at him from a cliff, mocking him with his shell. "Michelle is mine!" It cackled before zooming off deeper into the cave. Disheartened, Jack began the slow climb from the ledge to the cooling silver river below. With singed toes and burnt geta, Jack raced over the smoldering metal to the cliff the mole had mocked him from.

~12hrs earlier~

It had been a pleasant day of honing his skills and sharpening his blade on the hides of Beetle Bots. He had run across a village of short, round, fuzzy people running for their lives as the bots destroyed the strangely shaped round buildings of the town.

Jack had been surprised when the Füzple had swarmed together to form a giant creature to help him in his fight. Jack had barely broken a sweat on the insignificant insects. His strength had improved enough that they were now just a minor nuisance rather than any actual threat.

After the battle, Jack had enjoyed the company of the Füzple; eating with them and joining in on their ceremonies. The shell remained silent as he celebrated, and he decided she must have been resting.

By the time night fell Jack was resting comfortably in a cozy room the Füzple while the city shifted into quiet slumber. It was then that she finally spoke up.

"You enjoyed the slaughter a bit too much today."

"What do you mean?" Jack asked in shock, examining the small amulet.

"You were overjoyed by the defeat of your enemy."

"Should I not have been?"

"No. You should have been humble about your victory."

"I saved a village full of people; at least I think they are people, without losing a single innocent life."

"And I congratulate you on that, but you acted as though the battle was but a mere nuisance. You acted as though you could have taken the entire army on with one hand tied behind your back."

"I could have." He growled confidently.

"You were showboating Jack! You acted as though you were merely training children in a dojo!"

Jack glared at the shell, "What is wrong with that? That was how it felt."

"Such carelessness could have gotten you killed!"

"I disagree; my skills are far more formidable than their own!"

Now jack was shouting into the shell, disturbing the Füzple who had been so kind earlier. Ashamed, Jack bowed out of the village and took back to his path. "Jack listen…"

"No, you listen," Jack snapped angrily, "I have been fighting since I was a child,"

"Jack-"

"I have been training for years with different masters,"

"Jack!"

"With different cultures, and I believe I have a right-"

He was cut short by an explosion that sent him flying backwards, knocking the amulet off of his neck. Dazed, he stood and pulled his sword to face his enemy, unaware that his shell was gone. Several Mechamoles surrounded him, grenades in their large claws and sneers on their ugly faces.

Jack let out a battle cry, attacking the moles as they let their bombs fly. He quickly dodged the falling explosives, slicing his way through the wave of moles. As he was clearing out their numbers, their leader snatched the amulet up, chattering with glee as he dug a deep tunnel to escape through.

"JACK!" She screamed, clawing her globe in fear that he wouldn't be able to hear her cries through the commotion. The mole dove into the darkness of the tunnel, and her sight went dark. She had gotten used to the darkness while the shell was concealed on Jack's neck, but this darkness was far more absolute.

Plucking a scale from her arm, she crushed the shimmering pearlized pink scale into a fine dust and scattering it over her globe, focusing on Jack's face to enact her magic. The globe changed, turning blurry before clearing up to reveal Jack in heated combat, trying to get to the tunnel. He had heard her cries after all, and was in the process of fighting the nearby enemies blocking his path to her.

Without the shell, he wouldn't be able to hear her instructions. She prayed his instincts and skill would be enough to find the shell, and its kidnapper before her captor realized the true power of the amulet.

The tunnel opened into a large maze of caves, her cries echoing off the walls in a confusing metronome of panic as it faded into the depths of the caverns. Somewhere behind him a bomb went off, shaking the tunnel and causing a rock slide.

Dodging boulders, Jack raced down the only stable tunnel running on instinct alone to find his prize. He was in luck as just ahead of him stood a shocked Mechamole leader with his shell in its clutches. "My shell!" Jack roared, lunging at the robot.

Another explosion caught him off guard, taking out the wall next to him and knocking him to his knees. The leader cackled, running off while his minions surrounded the injured samurai, their fangs bared. Though anger bled through his veins, Jack stood calming his rage to better see his next moves.

Everything seemed to slow down as they attacked, their claws outstretched and teeth gnashing in anticipation of rendering his flesh from bone. One of the Mechamoles tossed another grenade his way, but Jack was too fast, lobbing the bomb right back and taking out the majority of the Mechamoles.

Jack dodged mechanical debris as the cavern around him collapsed. The remaining Mechamoles raced toward him baring steel fangs, their arms transforming into drills. Jack blocked their attacks with his sheath, jabbing his blade into their abdomen before slicing them in half.

The fallen Mechamoles exploded creating a domino effect and dropping the floor from beneath Jack. Jumping from boulder to boulder as they fell, Jack managed to catch hold of a small cliff. Pulling himself up, Jack turned to see the floor give way to lava. The Mechamoles squealed in grinding gears and sputtering brakes as the lava rushed over them, melting them to the core and turning the lava silvery.

Below him the Mechamole leader sneered up at him from a cliff, mocking him with his shell. "Michelle is mine!" It cackled before zooming off deeper into the cave. Disheartened, Jack began the slow climb from the ledge to the cooling silver river below. With singed toes and burnt geta, Jack raced over the smoldering metal to the cliff the mole had mocked him from.

By the time Jack reached the cliff, the mole was gone, his tracks covered by settling dust knocked loose from the explosions. Enraged, Jack let out a great roar and took off through the only safe opening.


	5. A Cookie for Evil

Blinding light met Jack, the cry of cicadas a reminder of desert heat. Jack scored the area once his eyes adjusted only to find the mole had led him farther away from the river. So much farther that there was not even a single tree to be seen for miles. Jack contemplated retuning to the cave to resume his search, but his thoughts were squashed by a blast of dust as the tunnel's entrance collapsed behind him.

Exhausted, Jack forged ahead, following the moles prints in the sand. Somehow the mole had gotten away, not visible in the bright desert sun. Jack followed the prints for a long time until he came upon a small grove of palm trees. At first thinking them to be a mirage, he simply walked through them until he dropped into a large pool of water. The oasis was familiar to him, and he recalled falling into it before.

He drank deeply, then retuned on his quest. It was not long before he spied a tower in the distance, sending waves of adrenaline through his veins. Aku. Jack sprinted toward the tower, unable to take cover to hide his approach. He could hear Aku's cackle behind the tower walls, his approach drawing the attention of the villain.

Shadow guards surrounded the samurai, their weapons ready to strike. Jack glared them down, his hand poised over his sword. For a moment no one moved, their gazes measuring their opponents weakness. Instantly Jack drew his sword, three enemies turning to smoke from his swift attacks before the others could react.

The remaining shadow guards pounced on Jack in a malevolent dog pile, snapping whips around his wrists and ankles to subdue him. Jack struggled against his bonds, but to no avail; the whips having been infused with Aku's evil strength. Exhausted and beaten, Jack was dragged into Aku's chamber where the Mechamole leader awaited him in front of a giant screen.

The confused Samurai was thrust before the Mechamole and attached to a giant metal pole. The screen flickered to life with Aku's image cackling at the broken samurai. Jack's shell dangled tauntingly in Aku's right hand, swinging precariously from his claw. Jack lunged at the screen in an attempt to free himself from his bonds, but the snake-like shadow whips held fast.

* * *

_She watched in horror as Aku laughed at the beaten samurai, Jack's long tresses hanging limply in his face. Covered in sand, mud and cuts he looked as though he'd been dragged by horses across a sea of glass. "Keep fighting!" she called, hoping Jack could hear her over Aku's maniacal laughter._

_Her calls gained unwanted attention when Aku fell silent and stared at the strange shell. "What's this?" He wondered, eying the amulet. He peered into the opening but found no one inside just as Jack had done when they first met. "Aku!" Jack snapped, trying to draw his attention from his shell._

_The Oni laughed, watching his foe struggle against his bonds with glee, "Keep trying Samurai, but those bonds will never break! I have infused them with my mighty essence, and you cannot reach your sword!" he cackled again, but was cut short by the smart-mouthing of Jack's shell._

"_Wanna cookie captain obvious?" She snapped, placing her hands on her hips as she glared at him trough her crystal orb. For the first time in history, the arrogant Aku was speechless._


	6. Part Deux

Jack could tell she was in danger by the way Aku glared at the insolent seashell. "Aku I will get free!" Jack yelled, drawing his enemy's attention back to him, "Really Samurai?" Aku laughed, tapping his claw on the shell to make it swing faster, "who's going to help you? Your insolent friend here?"

Aku crushed the shell, letting the dust trickle between his fingers. His laughter rung through the hollow chamber Jack was attached to and sending chills down the spines of the city dwellers in the town nearby.

_Jack dropped his head in defeat much to her dismay; he had no idea that his severed link could be recreated though it would take time. But it looked like time was not on her side as Aku's laughter became insane._

Suddenly the floor underneath Jack dropped into a pit of lava leaving him to hang there chaffing against his bonds. Aku's laughter continued, "I will finally be rid of you Samurai; no longer will you oppose me with that cursed sword of yours." Jack struggled, unsure of what he could do once he was free, but knowing that he had to get free somehow.

Aku laughed again before the screen flickered off, leaving the room full of his echo. Alone to think; he worked his fingers against his knots, quickly working the ropes free. Sad to lose his shoes again, he kicked them off and grabbed onto the pole with his feet. His shoes plopped into the lava, a sizzle and a puff of smoke all that remained a second later.

Cursing Aku for the loss of good shoes, Jack focused on untying his feet. He slid down a few inches once the rope was loosened, but he quickly caught himself and climbed to the top of the pole.

Remembering his training from the forest man, he focused on his goal and leapt from the pole to the entrance before the lava melted the pole right from under him. Hitting the ground winded him, but he was back on his feet and out the door before the lava took out the entire tower.


	7. Three's A Charm

Cries of panic could be heard from the nearby town as the flood of lava began oozing its way to the unprotected city. Jack leapt from the tower entrance to pieces of the fallen tower floating along the lava river. Using this method, he hopped from piece to piece until he reached the city, jumping from the debris to the city gates faster than the lava could reach.

The trading town was full of all kinds of people, all in a panic-fueled frenzy trying to get out of the city before the river reached it. A young woman stood out from the crowd drawing water from a well in the center of town. She had drawn a dozen pails before the tower's explosion and was in the process of drawing more.

"Why do you not run like the others?" He asked a she approached her. She shuddered and drew a veil over her face, her glowing green eyes turning to him in surprise, "You do not know? The voice told me you would come to the city to save us. She said you would use water to save the town."

Growing tired of double meanings and the strangeness associated with the new era Aku had brought about; Jack helped her tote the water to the city gates. "This is for you." She said, offering him a large horn. "What do I do with it?" He asked, keeping an eye on the approaching lava. "I have no idea." She stated calmly before trotting off to gather more water.

Shrugging, Jack inhaled deeply and blew into the horn as hard as he could. The ear-splitting sound surrounded the area, stopping the panic in its tracks. All stopped and looked at the samurai in puzzlement, their fear temporarily forgotten. "Water!" He called to the people, "We need to throw water on the lava before it gets to the city if you want to save your homes!"

Mumbling their confusion, the crowd followed his orders as he directed them to save their town. Women, children, and men of all ages and races gathered buckets and shovels under Jack's direction and began to dig a large moat around the front of the city while others drew water from the well with the young woman.

Together they managed to fill the moat with water while directing the lava flow around the city at the same time.

Once the city was safe, the people burst out in triumph; unaware that their hero had slipped away through a back gate.

Jack followed the obsidian stream to his destination, the horn left hanging on the city's wall.

The soft smile of the young woman spreading across her lips knowingly.


	8. Bean Nighe

Jack sighed in discomfort as he trod through the rain and mud. The torrent kept him on his toes as he couldn't see two feet ahead of himself and kept tripping on uncovered rocks and roots. The sand in his clothes mixed with the rain, chaffing him in all sorts of uncomfortable places. Lightning cracked overhead, illuminating a structure close by.

Deciding it would be best to seek shelter from the storm rather than continue; he veered for the building.

As he grew closer, however, he surmised the building was more ruins than anything else. The walls were cracked and falling in and half of the house was gone, exposing the furniture inside to the harsh elements.

He stepped over the rubble of a wall, gazing at the falling wallpaper. A sudden chill swept over him, and he rubbed his hands over his chilled arms to gather what warmth he could.

A decrepit staircase could be seen around the corner of the partially intact wall, and a soft glow lit the top enough to see the mold-covered stairwell. Curious, Jack carefully climbed the stairs, checking his footing before each step.

Though he was careful, a few steps fell from beneath him, but he was swift enough to move to the next step before he could fall.

As he grew closer, he could hear someone humming in the room at the top of the stairs. Easing to the top, he spied a small wooden door with a warm glow seeping from beneath. 'So this is where the light comes from.' He thought, glancing back down the stairs in surprise that someone else had thought to seek shelter here.

Jack knocked politely, but the hummer ignored him and continued their business. Jack nudged the door open and stepped inside, preparing to apologize for his rudeness; but he stopped dead in his tracks when his eyes fell on the owner of the humming.

Standing at a small washing pot in the middle of the room was a short woman with webbed feet and moss-covered green clothes. She hummed as she worked, scrubbing blood-soaked clothes until there was no trace of blood on them. Beside her was a pile of sopping wet, muddy clothes with bloodstains.

"May I ask what you are doing?" Jack questioned suspiciously; settling his hand on his sword, ready to draw at any moment. "Ahm not anseerin' any questions 'til yah anseer mahn." She sighed in a lilting Scottish accent.

Agreeing, Jack stepped beside her, rolled up his sleeves, and commenced to helping the woman with her task.

"What is your purpose in this life?" She quizzed the young man before her as she slung the wrinkles from a freshly washed pair of trousers.

"To avenge my people and defeat Aku." Jack stated truthfully, focusing on the impossible task of scrubbing ages-old bloodstains from a woman's dress.

"Mmm, vengeance. Such a thing'll pull a man ta 'is grave." She murmured loud enough for him to hear. "I must defeat Aku to save this world from his tyranny!" Jack retorted defensively. She smiled and looked up at him revealing a large nose with only one nostril and a single large crooked tooth. Though he felt he should have been repulsed by her appearance, Jack was instead warmed by her smile and returned it.

"Now, is Aku the only evil you will fight against?" She asked, pulling the dress from his hands and pointing to the clean clothes to hang.

"No. I will help anyone who needs my help." Jack replied as he draped the clothes over a long line in the corner of the room.

The warmth of the room was strange compared to the state of the rest of the house. It was as if this one room was spared from whatever disaster the rest of the house endured. The wallpaper was still intact, and the old furniture looked like new. There was not a speck of dust to be seen, and the candles that lit the room never seemed to diminish.

"You keep a good house." Jack stated as he took in his surroundings. "I am surprised that at least this room was spared the onslaught of weather."

"Hmmm, thank you. I must keep things clean so the laundry stays clean until I give it back." She cooed, her silver eyes glittering from the compliment.

"Las' question, then ya may ask yours. An' don' think ah didn' catch what ya jus' pulled there. Ah'll let it slide though 'cause ya were sincere." Jack blushed, feeling like a scolded child as he gathered the clothes she had finished in such a short amount of time.

"What did you think of me when you first saw me?" She asked somewhat hurt.

Jack avoided her gaze in shame, "I perceived you to be an enemy. I was ready to draw my sword because of your appearance alone."

Dropping his head, the shamed samurai returned to his chore.

Such a simple thing like laundry made him reflect to his childhood. His mother, so royal, yet never too good to do her own chores. He had always loved helping her with chores…

"Do ya hear me boy?" Her soft tone was enough to snap him back to attention. "My apologies-"

She waved a wrinkled hand, "Nonsense. Now you may ask three questions of me. Only three though mind you; I have much to do and little time left."

The thunder cracked menacingly outside, the house giving a heavy shudder in response.

"Why are you washing bloody laundry?" Jack questioned, the curiosity about to strangle him.

The old woman chuckled and shook her head, "So ya have no idea what I am. Ahlright, but for your next questions might I suggest something more important than such a trifle? What if ah had tricked ya an' was only plannin' on answerin' one question?"

Now it was Jack's turn to call her out. "You said you would only ask me three questions in turn for three." She cackled, shaking her head, "Ya are quick! Ahm doin' the laundry for mah friends. They're buried at the moment in their own troubles, so ah offered."

Jack looked at the line that never seemed to get full despite his efforts, and the pile of laundry that never seemed to diminish no matter how much she washed. "You must have a lot of friends." Jack stated though his words drown by another loud crack of thunder from outside, the lightning sending a flash of light through the room.

Jack froze when the flash blinked an image of an empty room covered in moss and mold rather than wallpaper. "Hmmm. Seems the storms givin' us 'er worst." The woman commented.

"There was something ya were looking for." She reminded him, snapping him back at attention. "A woman." Jack stated absently, unaware he was even speaking from the shock of what he had seen. "Do you know how I can find her?"

The woman chuckled and clucked her tongue, "Nawt very specific; he that wilna be ruled by the rudder maun be ruled by the rock. I know tha woman, but yer not ready. Yeh'll fin' a shell 'neath tha house."

Jack bowed and moved to leaved, but she shot out a scaly hand and pulled him back with a strength that caught Jack off guard. "Nawt yet. Next question." Unable to pry free, Jack submitted and sat down on the floor beside her. She kept her grip as she washed.

"Where will Aku appear next?" he sighed, unsure of what to ask the old woman. "Be wary of a passin' stranger dressed in black. He will try to be friendly, but he is a minion of evil."

She let go of him, but he remained still, suddenly depressed by the fact he would not be seeing the woman in the shell. "You may ask one more since ah was rude an' asked moren' three."

"Why do I feel this way?" He murmured, drawing a shell in the dust on the floor. he paused, sure that there had not been a speck of dust a moment ago.

"It's love, luv." She patted his head, a soft smile decorating her face, "Ya are drawn ta the one that's been made jus' fer you. Now scoot on out an' fin' yer shell. Ah went an' told ya too much already."

Jack simply sat there, but she nudged him away, pushing him out the door and locking it behind him.

Tired, Jack searched the ruined house and found a small blue shell hidden amongst the debris. It glowed warmly in his palm as he left the house.

A familiar sound rang through the rain, causing jack to look up from the shell.

Following the sound through the pelting rain, he met the Scotsman halfway on the road away from the house.

His enigmatic friend had set up camp with a sturdy tent strong enough to withstand the storm and was currently playing the bagpipes so horribly Jack had to cover his ears before entering the tent. "Mah buddy!" the Scotsman shouted, dropping the pipes onto a soft blanket and wrapping Jack up in his arms.

"Ya jus' missed the worst thing ever! Ah was headin' outta town when it was hit by a fallin' satellite. Whole town was blown ta smithereens! Lucky ya wasn't there like I thought!"

Jack felt a chill down his spine, "I was helping a woman do her laundry. I was headed there when she stopped me."

The Scotsman narrowed his eyes at Jack, "She look like a slimy ol' hag with webbin' on 'er feet an' a big nose?"

Jack nodded.

"She washin' bloody laundry look like it was an 'undred years old?"

Jack nodded again.

The Scotsman flopped down onto the warm pelts, his face twisted in shock and horror. "Bean-Nighe." He muttered, rubbing his chin and regarding Jack as though he was from a different planet.

"What?" Jack asked in confusion.

"Bean-Nighe. Ya had a run-in with tha washerwoman. She's a fairy. If you see 'er is a sign o' death, but yah were able ta avoid it. She saved yah."

The Scotsman teared up and slapped a large hand on Jack's shoulder, dropping him to the ground beside the Scotsman. "Tha lady o' peace done saw fit fer ya ta keep on goin'."

Jack mentioned the quote the woman gave, causing the Scotsman to laugh, "Ya don' pay attention, ya get smashed by tha rocks!" the Scotsman roared happily. "Jack, ahm so glad ya ran inna her."

When the storm passed, and Jack took the Scotsman to see the house it had been completely blown over by the storm. Moss covered everything, and plants had grown over the fallen debris.

"I do not understand…"

The Scotsman roared with laughter, "This ol' place 'as been like this fer a hundred years! Ya must've been mistaken."

Jack studied the ruins, his eye catching a glimpse of silver. Plucking it from the debris, he rubbed the mud from the object to see a small locket. Inside was a photo of a young woman and man.

"That's tha family tha lived here. She died givin' birth an' he died o' sickness." The Scotsman stated, looking over Jack's shoulder. Jack barely heard him; his gaze captivated by the silver eyes of the young woman.


	9. Shroud of Darkness

Darkness crept across the land, covering everything with a sepia glow. Jack yawned, his new blue shell, silent against his chest, glowed warmly. It has been six days since he found it, and she remains silent.

"Are you still alive?" Jack wondered loudly, rubbing his fingers over its surface. "Barely." Her voice cracked. Jack froze, looking down at the shell, "What happened?"

_She smiled as pale scales dropped from her skin. Her eyes glowed softly, mirrored in her bubble back at her. "Aku… when my shell… it hurt…" she sighed, her glow fading. Before her eyes she was withering away. 'Any beauty I may have had is surely gone now. If he sees me like this, he will be repulsed by me.' She thought bitterly. Though she wasn't much to look at before, it was even worse now._

"_What is your name?" His voice was strained, and her vision of him was fading. "I don't… know anymore. It was… taken… from me. When… you name… me, let… it… be a… name suitable… for… a creature… such as… myself."_

"_Creature?" She imagined his face contorting in disgust. "Surely… you did… not… think I was… human?"_

_His reply never reached her. Her body shuddered as her breath left her chest. Blackness greeted her and she closed her eyes to meet it._

"Hello?" Jack shook the pale shell. He ignored the tears forcing their way through his eyelashes. He ignored the creeping darkness. He ignored all but the shell as its light faded. "No." He whispered, dropping to his knees. "No."


	10. Lunch With A Scotsman

"Wake up sleepyhead!"

Jack woke to the annoying trill of his neighbor's daughter. "Suki what are you doing?" She shoved him a small bowl, a blind fish swimming limply inside. "We can heal it. I know we can. It will be our baby."

"Ah said wake up!" the swift kick to his side woke the exhausted samurai, his face burned from the days light. The Scotsman grinned at him, "Where've ya been lad? Fights been good these days." He sat up, rubbing his legs. He'd been running for three days, the river slowly drying up. "No time to chat. I must be on my way." He waved to the larger man and headed off, his legs wobbly and body malnourished.

The Scotsman grabbed him around the waist, easily lifting him into the air before plopping him down beside the river, his hulking frame joining him on the soft earth. "Not without ma bunny wife's famous gruel yer not. Ye look like a limp noodle burnt in the sun. Ye'll not be goin around fightin' like that, I wont have it." He produced a bag dripping with grease from his pouch and shoved it into the disgusted samurai's hands. "I don't know what to say…" "Donna say anythin' just eat." He urged Jack to taste the odd grey mush that rolled around in the bag. "I am really not that hungry." Jack lied, offering the bag back.

The Scotsman sighed, clapping a hand on Jack's weary shoulder. "Ah been watchin' ya boy. Love right? Ah remember when I saw my sweet wife-" "Actually I may taste her cooking." Jack offered, refusing to listen to the story he'd heard thousands of times from his awkward friend. The Scotsman nudged him, eagerly watching to make sure he took a bite.

Jack's teeth sank into the rotting dish, the bile rising in his throat. Suddenly he pointed to a spot behind the Scotsman, "Aku!" the Scotsman turned, drawing his sword, and jack threw up in the water, the rivers trickling flow dragging the muck downstream. "Where?" his friend called, setting his feet and looking back to Jack. "There!" Jack pointed in a different direction and the Scotsman rushed to the spot.

Jack hurled the disgusting blob downriver, and then joined his friend. "He must have gone." Jack offered, wiping the grease from his hands onto the grass. "Ah think he's scared! He knows he's no match fer us." The Scotsman laughed, clapping jack on the back. Jack nodded, silently thanking Aku for providing a distraction. He promised himself he'd never use such a tactic again, leaving the Scotsman to his search in order to pursue his own.

For the first time in a long time, it wasn't Aku he had to worry about.


	11. Fate

Tired and aching Jack watched the water dry up, willow roots cracked and dry creeping through the riverbed. The forest was silent, mystical. Fog rolled over the ground, it tendrils snaking over his geta, rising over his legs under his battered hakama. He moved through the trees, his eyes focused on a soft glow beyond the foliage. A man in black slid like oil through the trees; his fluid form following the same glow.

The blue haze pulsated at his approach, growing brighter in the fading light. He pushed beyond the whips of the willows to see the man in black kneeling in front of a large blue orb, the shadows inside still and dark. "What is this?" Jack spoke. The man looked up with a sad smile, "The river goddess. I was sent from my village to pray for her awakening."

Jack's shell rose from its resting place around his neck, tugging him closer. The mans' eyes widened in disbelief and he rose to allow the samurai to pass. "Can you wake her up?" "Be gone agent of Aku." Jack shot angrily, protectively. The man laughed, his tone a metallic click as he stepped closer, his eyes glowing red, "How'd you know?"

Jack refused to answer, his sword sliding from its sheath. The man backed away a few feet, his body changing. His arms shifted, stretching into metallic whips that sizzled with dark electricity. His torso thickened into a rotund sphere, his eyes at the sides large and red; his legs expanding, more shooting from the sphere's base. In an instant Jack was faced with an electrical octopus, its dark tentacles racing along the ground at him.

He sliced them off, charging the creatures' bulbous form. He was swatted away, the electricity from the thick tentacle crackling through his veins. He skids against the dusty earth, the dried grass tearing away beneath his feet. "Jack?" Her voice is calling him, her limp form still in the sphere. "I am here." He called, bracing against the tentacles onslaught.

Time and time again the electricity struck him, his weary body too weak to face the creature. The sphere pulsated, a blast of light and wind knocking the octopus back. "The surface… touch it with… the shell." Jack leapt over a falling tentacle, stumbling over his landing before tearing the shell away and smacking it against the cold surface of the orb. It popped, a mere bubble holding his woman captive. Her lips met his, and strength flowed through him, his body replenished by the kiss.

She dropped, her violet hair falling over her face. Another tentacle fell, snatching her up in a pink breeze, her form thrown behind the octopus. "No!" Jack attacked with his blade over his head. He jumped, twirling it to bring the tip down through the octopus' head. The octopus swelled, his body convulsing from the deadly blow.

Jack jumped free, snatching her up as he rolled to safety. The octopus shuddered, smoke rolling from his joints as he reached his limits. He exploded, oil raining down on them. He'd defeated the dark one, but what about his light?

He wiped the oil from her pink cheeks, a long thick tail dripping from her hips into a delicate fan. Her coral scales were iridescent and slick, fading from pink to blue. Her ears were large and fanned, webbing between the tips matching the webbing of her hands. He looked her over, his hands checking every inch of her for injuries. Memories flooded him from his childhood. Yes, he knew her. He knew her as she once was, beauty and all.


	12. Awakening

"Wake up sleepyhead!"

Jack woke to the annoying trill of his neighbor's daughter. "Suki what are you doing?" She shoved him a small bowl, a blind fish swimming limply inside. "We can heal it. I know we can. It will be our baby."

Jack stared at the beta, its delicate fins limp and streaked in colors he'd never seen before. "Where did you find it?" She giggled, "He was free at the fish market. No one wanted him." His blind eyes stared past them. "What should we call him?" She asked, sneaking a peck on Jack's young cheek. He blushed, "I do not know…"

"Ren." His lips took hers and she awoke with a start. Her palm struck his face and she gasped in shock at his face. "Jack?" She blushed blue and he smiled, "Sorry." "No! I shouldn't have hit you. You're weak enough, haven't you been eating?" her blind eyes looked past him, her hands on his face. "Your name is Ren." He stated happily, lifting her in his arms. "You remember me from so long ago?" he nodded, shocked when her long tail wrapped around his hips.

"Suki decided the name when you regained health." "Because I was like the lotus and returned to life." She chuckled, beads of light glowing over her arms, a streak running down her tail. "What are you?" He asked curiously. She blushed again, the blue caressing her cheeks, "A monster." He smiled, "I have never seen a monster quite so beautiful." Her blush radiated over her scales, "So forward. What's gotten into you?"

It was his turn to blush, "You?"


End file.
